Hello everyone. I am working on bringing a family entertainment center (FEC) with a 24 lane bowling alley.

What do you folks like or dislike about the bowling alleys & FECs that you have been too?

Regarding bathrooms - make sure that there is an exhaust fan system in place.  Our center does not have any and if you are bowling on the lanes near the restrooms, you will know it by the smell.  (For some reason they like to keep the mens room door propped open.) That's another reason why some do not like bowling on lanes 1-4.

Oh, and have water fountains or beverage vending machines available.  Don't force your customers to have to go to the snack bar for water or soft drinks.  We had both until the snack bar complained and they removed them.  I bowl on a military installation, so MWR rules.

I think making sure the air conditioning is working properly is most important to me. The other thing that I have been trying to get my center to install is the rack that fits under the return for bowlers spare balls. During league play half the seats are taken up with balls.

Lots of great pointers. How a center runs its restroom facilities says a lot about management. I bowl in a couple of houses that recently refurbished their restrooms which are clean and well lit---a reflection of management mindset.

I think the front bathrooms in the center I bowl at haven't been cleaned since the placed opened in 1976.

Pretty simple for Me (4 items).

#1. Nice approaches. This should be a top priority. You need to prevent baby powder and rosin dumping on the approaches. In my years of bowling, I have rate this as most important, nothing worse than sliding on lane 36 and sticking on lane 35, or sliding good on your strike ball and sticking on trying to pick up a spare (just standing on a different place on the approach)

#2. Clean and Comfortable Establishment: Area clean, restrooms nice, and temperature is comfortable.

#3. Good lanes, pinsetters, and ball returns: Machines down the lane must work. Understand an issue can happen, but it should not be a normal occurrence.

#4. If you serve food: Make sure food is good quality. Not looking top notch items, but don't buy the cheap stuff, to try save some money.


As for everything else "Lane Conditions, Leagues, Pricing, Open Bowling, Pro Shop", you have to figure that one based on your area. You must customize your business to those that will come through your door and pay.

If you have pretty girls, keep them working in the bar. Helps keep bowlers focused on the game and increases bar revenue from guys  visiting the bar.

Iso,

 Having never run a center myself, but always having it as a dream of mine, I have spent much time listening to the bowling community, trying to figure out what would make a bowling establishment successful.

 First off, I really don't think you can go in as "just" a bowling center anymore. You seem to have the right direction in mind by opening up as a F. E.C.. Just keep in mind that by doing so, you not only increase the number of possible patrons, but you also increase the need for you to have a wider variety of activities available to keep them all entertained. Once upon a time, bowling was a big enough draw by it self, but those days are gone, and the public's desire to be entertained has grown beyond what bowling can supply on it's own.

 That doesn't mean that you need to open a giant place with a multitude of things, but access to a well thought out secondary activity area can draw in people who otherwise might not come in just for bowling. A small area with arcade style atmosphere and games might be something to look at as a side attraction. The center here even added an area for a laser tag venue, and I have seen everything from a skating rink to a putt-putt golf in bowling centers.

 Second, it seems that GOOD food is a big advantage. Many times, I have been in centers that just didn't have anything decent to eat, or their service was ridiculously bad, and watch groups of hungry people "hurrying up" to leave and go get something to eat. If you have GOOD food, with GOOD service, many times those people might not only stay there longer, but they would probably be likely to eat there, which drives up revenue. If they KNOW they can come and enjoy themselves without worrying what to do about getting done and going to find something to eat elsewhere, that always seemed like something that could influence people to stay longer, spend more, and come back more often.

 Has anyone mentioned CLEANLINESS? Yes, they have, but you cannot underestimate the importance. Many times, I have been in centers and overheard comments to the effect of those patrons not ever coming back to this place because of the "nasty" bathrooms. BUT, it isn't just the bathrooms, it should be the entire center that is kept clean. Believe me, people notice when it isn't, and it makes a difference.

 DON'T SKIMP on the maintenance either. Nobody wants to go back to a place where they had a bad experience. If the lanes are not well maintained, if the machines don't run right, if the balls continually get stuck, or come back "damaged", you will not be helping yourself build a return clientele, but you WILL be giving them a reason to go "somewhere else" next time the recreation issue comes up.

 And finally, don't forget about or overlook the need/want for some basic services that go along with this type business.  While the casual recreational bowler might not be interested in a pro-shop, no "serious" center would be complete without one. Now, whether you owned and ran the shop, or simply leased out a space to an outside shop business, you need to make sure that it is staffed by good, reputable people, and that it will be open at times when business volume is high, or whenever you are having leagues and tournaments. A good shop might not draw in a ton of business, but the lack of one can cause people to go elsewhere to get those services, then STAY elsewhere for that convenience. You don't want to give people an excuse to NOT come to your place.

 If you do decide to go through with your plans, I wish you the best of luck. Do your homework and make sure the demographics support the idea and the location, because getting those right to begin with may be a big part of your success. Make sure you find an area that is looking for a product like the one you are going to offer first.

And to add to the staff side of things, make sure you have proper training for your bowling staff.  Recently, our center had hired a new lane attendant and this person was set to work during the men's league.  A call was made to get deadwood on a lane and this lane attendant walked down the middle of the lane, all the way to the masking unit, to get the deadwood.

Obviously this is not what should be done.  But I am willing to bet this person was never taught the proper way to get deadwood.  Needless to say, the men's league was brutal in the treatment of this lane attendant.  I felt bad because it was obvious the training wasn't there.  Plus, I used to manage this place and that would have never happened with my staff.

Just remember, with an FEC, you will have to have extensive cross-training between your services.  You can't just throw them out there and expect good customer service.